In October I contacted IRC in Jamaica about their long-term treatment program. I was going through a court case for DUI and was going to be sentenced to a residential treatment program which needed to be approved by the court. I checked out many such programs on the web. My primary requirement was that I needed a program that would allow me to continue to work while from my room while I was in the program. IRC seemed the most accomodating. (In fact, they promised me just about anything I wanted if I chose their program.) They said that they would go to court with me and talk to the judge to make sure the court would approve their program and sent me a schedule detailing what hours I'd be able to work and what hours I would need to be in treatment. All seemed very good. When I came time for them to come up from Jamaica and go to court with me, they said that they needed two tickets and a $10,000 dollar retainer (fully refundable they said if the court didn't approve their center). I obliged and when it came time to meet them in court, they did not show up. They said that they couldn't get to the plane on time.
Well needless to say, the judge did not approve an off-shore rehab center without talking to them about their program and what they could offer that I couldn't get in a local residential program.
I had to find another program, pay them $3,000 dollars to come to court with me and another $27,000 for the treatment (up front) and when I contacted IRC about my refund I got nothing up excuses, promises and delays for months.
They finally paid me $2,500 (with the rest to come "shortly") in January. Since then, they have refused to return any of my calls or e-mails and I've found that litigation against a company based in Jamaica and Mexico would be very difficult and expensive. However, I'm willing to do it if there seems to be no other way to make these people pay for taking advantage of people when they're at their most vulnerable.
These people are supposed to be professionals dedicated to helping people get their lives back on track.instead, they take advantage and steal from people who have very few options and are at their weakest points in their lives. They look for hope and IRC gives it to them (for a price) then completely turn their backs when it serves them to do so.
I have DOZENS of e-mails from Julia Stewart (Executive Director) and Dr. Alan Myers (General Manger/Owner?) at IRC with all the promises to show up in court and to refund my money along with all the excuses about why they haven't been able to refund my money yet.
Since I had to hastily find another program that would not let me work for 6 months, I have lost my business and am desperately in need of the money owed to me. A fact that IRC doesn't seem to care about at all.
Their United States address is:
5794B Jarrett Drive
Boynton Beach, FL 33437
(561) 752-0560
However, this is just a U.S. Mail address and answering service, they don't have any offices here.
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